Weimar Republic

A common name for the democratic government of Germany between the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the assumption of power by Adolf Hitler in 1933; Weimar, Germany, was where its constitution was drawn up. The constitution abolished the several constitutional monarchies that had previously formed the German Empire. The Weimar government was unpopular because of its acceptance of the harsh provisions of the Treaty of Versailles; the large penalties Germany had to pay caused economic chaos in the country, with German money declining daily in value. Germany's Weimar years, however, were a period of political freedom and cultural creativity, both of which were snuffed out by Hitler.